Our memories will last a tad over 91 times longer than the four wonderful days we actually spent at Silver Falls this year. You do the math, you’ll see I’m right. All this winter and right through next summer we will be mulling all those splendid memories until its time to jump in and do it all again.
If we have to be honest about it we will admit that the two days of rain we started with, sucked out some of the goody. Even the toughest of us had cold fingers and chills running around inside our multiple layers of clothing. We got through those first days because we are a tough bunch who loves to hug. Yes, you heard me right. Two or more friends shivering up against each other generate a wonderful kind of warmth. When I first came to one of these things three years ago the hugs were a little difficult for me. All of us haven’t lived our lives with the benefits of the overtly physical howdy. I am getting used to it though. The first minute I saw Stewart Jacobson, I just walked right up and hugged him. Not that I find him irresistibly attractive, but, you have to admit that he is a very warm-hearted guy and it was, in fact, a bone-chilling day. Having benefited from Stu’s hug I went on to hug lots of other people too. I felt better with each one. The pressure of a hug seems to set the memory in the body and the mind. Hugs last.
Wow, and was it just me or did our instructors beam down from some other, higher evolved planet? Shazaam! Repetitive Kudos to the super heroes of the symposium: Joanne Duby, Stu Jacobson, Alex Morosco, and Marla Samuel. Harder working, more helpful friends you couldn’t ask for. Even while crowding our muddy feet under scant cover while it rained, they filled our minds with sunshine by lending us their knowledge, dedication, and unending good will.
Speaking of good will, our memories wouldn’t be complete without recalling THE AUCTION. Could there exist a more delightful way to fund the work-study program? Picture the scene: In a hush, our auctioneer steps to the fore, the sash of her clan magnificently draped across a robust bosom. For down home chutzpah, Elaine MacKay has no equal. And what a crowd we had. Mark Andrew, our director for the last three years, (what a great guy, what a great talent, what a great job) insisted, as his last directive, that the wine be free. And Terry Slaton helped the atmosphere along by handing out samples of his homemade Raspberry Magic. Under Elaine’s charmingly firm guidance we gave until it hurt, gladly bidding large sums for a variety of stuff. There was the cozy lamb’s wool and camel hair hat (donated by Yak rancher Michael Wheeler), a bit of clever stitchery donated by the neighboring quilters - at Elaine’s suggestion, an exquisite fused glass picture frame, hand made tools, a still warm shirt direct from the Auctioneer’s assistant’s body, more tools, pictures, books, lots of rocks and bunches of other stuff. And when it was all gone and the bidding was over, our untiring masseuse, Caroline Anderson, asked if Chuck Davis would auction off one of his dreadlocks. Well, I guess you know that Chuck zipped out the door, well ahead of his nearest scissoring pursuer, which conduct we all took for a “NO”! A few minutes later, as the auction was opened for last minute donations, Caroline with a sly wink and one very small blond lock proudly mustached in between her nose and upper lip donated thirty dollars. Because of the small size of Chuck’s offering, it wasn’t so much a dreadlock as a slightconcernlock but, it proved what we already knew, that Chuck is indeed a great sport.
Well, anyway, that’s a few of the things I will remember for about 91 times longer than this year’s short 4 days at beautiful Silver Falls Park. I believe it is safe to say that we all took away what we came for: information, renewed communal strength, a greater love for stone and certainly for our wonderful, huggable friends who can chisel and finesse that stone into inspirational art. 
